This Amendment saw multiple use during the 1970s and resulted for the first time in our history in the accession to the Presidency and Vice–Presidency of two men who had not faced the voters in a national election. First, Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned on October 10, 1973, and President Nixon nominated Gerald R. Ford of Michigan to succeed him, following the procedures of Sec. 2 of the Amendment for the first time. Hearings were held upon the nomination by the Senate Rules Committee and the House Judiciary Committee, both Houses thereafter confirmed the nomination, and the new Vice President took the oath of office December 6, 1973. Second, President Richard M. Nixon resigned his office August 9, 1974, and Vice President Ford immediately succeeded to the office and took the presidential oath of office at noon of the same day. Third, again following Sec. 2 of the Amendment, President Ford nominated Nelson A. Rockefeller of New York to be Vice President; on August 20, 1974, hearings were held in both Houses, confirmation voted and Mr. Rockefeller took the oath of office December 19, 1974.1
Footnotes
Twenty-Fifth Amendment -- Table of Contents |
Stanford Law Review November 1995 Essay *113
IS THE PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION LAW CONSTITUTIONAL?
Akhil Reed Amar [FNa] Vikram David Amar [FNaa] Copyright © 1995 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University; Akhil Reed Amar, Vikram David Amar
"In this essay, Akhil and Vikram Amar attack the constitutionality of the current presidential succession statute, which places the Speaker of the House and the Senate President pro tempore first and second in line, respectively, if there is neither a President nor a Vice President. Relying on the words of the Framers, the text and logic of the Constitution, and various practical and ethical concerns, the Amars conclude that federal legislators are not "Officers" under the Succession Clause and thus ineligible for the line of succession. Finally, the Amars suggest that an updated succession statute should provide for a prompt national election after succession, and should iron out various other wrinkles in the current succession statute."
Read the rest of the essay: https://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/centers/boisi/pdf/f10/Presidential%20Succession%20C.pdf
Go to the Government Publishing Office for written documents following the hearings themselves, when recorded and released:
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